Manifolding attachment for typewriters



March 5, 1929- G. M. SACERDOTE MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERSFiled March 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet gov March 5, 1929. G. M. SACERDOTE.

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed March 5, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 2 NmmN arch 5, 11990 w G, M, SACERDOTE 1,394,029

mzmr-xmwme ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWR'ITERS Filed March 5, 1.925 4Sheets-Sheet 3 March 5, 1929. SACERDQTE 1,704,020

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS ms Filed Mamh 5, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES GUIDO M. SACERDOTE, OF BAYSIDE, NEW YORK.

MANIFOLDIN G ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITEBS.

Application filed March 3, 1925. Serial No. 12,975.

This invention relates to manifolding typeof returning the controllingmember to its to writers. and more particularly refers to devices ofthis character where a ribbon or ribbons are employed for the productionof manifold records, instead of loose carbon sheets.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means for the controlof the manifolding ribbon or ribbons, insuring perfect feed andalinement of the same at all times, whether the platen is rotated in oneor the other direction.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved manifolding devicewhich is practically self contained and .which can be mounted upon anordinary typewriter as an attachment which does not interfere with thenormal operation of the typewriter itself.

A further object is to provide, in a manifolding typewriter. an improvedarrangemont of manifolding ribbon or ribbons, whereby shifting of theplaten for upper case printing may take place in the normal man ner. andwhereby the manifolding ribbon or ribbons may be shifted for multicolorprinting or may be moved entirely away from the printing line.

The invention comprises numerous other advantages and improvementscooperating one with the other in order to produce a complete. positive,reliable and practical device, and these will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, and will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings: i

Fig. 1 is a side View in elevation of the manifolding attachment mountedon a Remington typewriter;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front sectional view in elevation of a detail including theribbon feeding and reversing mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a detail side view in elevation of the mechanism controllingthe ribbon feed reversal;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same mechanism at the time when reversaltakes place;

Fig. 7 is a detail side sectional view in elevation of the mechanismcontrolling the ribbon feed;

Fig. 8 is a detail side view in elevation of the detent mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the means normal position;

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view in elevation through line 10-10 ofFig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a detail front view in elevation showing the means ofmounting the manifolding ribbon or ribbons;

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic View showing a multiple ribbon in its extendedposition;

Fig. 13 is a detail side sectional view in elevat on of a type of papersevering means which can be employed in connection with the device; and,

Fig. 14 is a detail fragmentary perspective view showing the relativearrangement of manifolding ribbons and blanks, when a rib bon isemployed for the simultaneous production of two copies. The maindifiiculty heretofore encountered in the operation of ribbon manifoldingdevices, has been in providing positive and reliable means for insuringat all times proper ahnement of the ribbon. This difliculty is createdby the frictional adherence of the mamfoldingribbon or ribbons to thesurfaces of the paper webs between which they are interposed, whichcauses the ribbon to follow the paper when the platen is rotated in oneor the other direction. This tendency is much more pronounced when theplaten is moved backward, and the friction between paper and ribbonincreases as this movement takes place, on account of the pressureexerted by the pressure rollers against the platen; so that if theribbon is allowed to deviate from its normal alinement, it becomes alsoincreasingly diflicult to feed it in the normal way.

In a co-pending application for patent on a manifolding typewriter,filed by me June 23, 1923, Serial No. 647,275, I have disclosed a methodfor partly obviating this difliculty, which consists in feeding theribbon across the platen, after the platen has been rotated for paperfeeding purposes; so that whatever distortion the ribbon has undergoneis counterbalanced by the tension subsequently applied to it during itsfeeding, and its alinementis restored.

This action is contingent upon the use of the line spacing lever foreffecting the return movement of the carriage, the feed of the ribbonbeing actuated by the carriage during 0 such return movement, and afterthe paper til feed has occurred, since it is well known that when theline spacing lever is used for this purpose, the feeding of the paperprecedes the return movement of the carriage.

However, while this is the normal way in which a typewriter should beoperated, there are a number of instances where the platen is operatedby hand, in one or the other directlon; and in such cases, there is noassurance of a proper alinement of the ribbon and of a proper feed,unless the operator is careful to move the carriage back and forthseveral times before starting to write, in order to restore thealinement of the ribbon, in the manner set forth.

This means that the device itself is not fool proof and reliable inevery respect; and furthermore, as stated, if the platen is movedbackward to any considerable extent, the ribbon becomes so entangled,and so firmly held, that it is diflicult to subsequently pull it to itsproper position. On the other hand, any device which limits theoperation of the typewriter to certain conditions, limits by just somuch the usefulness and the speed of the machine, and is therefore notpractical for general purposes.

In some devices which have come to my notice, an attempt has been madeto solve the problem by causing the ribbon feed to be operated directlyby the platen, whether the platen is operated by means of the linespacing lever, or by hand. In one device, the shaft controlling theribbon feed is geared directly to the platen: but such an arrangement isopen to the objection that to a limited angular motion of the platencorresponds a limited feed of the ribbon. When feeding of the ribbontakes place, it is generally necessary to move it a substantial amount,if the distortion previously undergone by it has to be fully corrected;this means a large multiplication of movement if the feed is controlledby the platen, and on the other hand a high ratio is scarcely applicablewithout seriously impairing the ease of operation of the platen.

In other devices, the step by step motion of the carriage is utilized toproduce a step by step feed of the manifolding ribbon or ribbons; butthis also is believed to be an unsatisfactory solution of the problem,for various reasons which would require a long discussion to cover.Among other objections, 1 will mention that this imposes an additionalduty upon the spring motor actuating the carriage, which cannot fail toreflect unfavorably on its sc'nsitiveness and speed and reliableoperation; also. that while the arrangement might work if the ribbon isheld in proper alinement, it will almost surely fail to work if theribbon is held distorted between the paper webs, offering thereforeconsiderable frictional assistance.

By experiment I have found, however, that if the ribbon is fedlongitudinally at a suitable speed, While the platen is being rotatedone way or the other, there is no possibility that the ribbon may becaught and drag ed along by the platen. I have also found that a slightinitial movement of the platen either way does not impair the ease withwhich the ribbon may be fed. Furthermore I have found, that it ispreferable to assure a condition where the ribbon is still moving in itslongitudinal direction when or after the movement of the platen isstopped. At the same time, a substantial pull should be exerted on theribbon for feeding, so as to overcome the friction to which the ribbonis subjected, and a substantial length of ribbon should be fed at eachtime.

Accordingly, I have met these various conditions in the present device,by providing a novel and improved arrangement assuring satisfactoryfeeding and alinement of the manifolding ribbon or ribbons at all times.This arrangement, which I will later describe in detail, comprises afeed controlling member, which is operated directly by the platenwhether the platen rotates in one or the other direction,causing'instant feed of the ribbon; and in order to avoid the necessityof transforming what may be a limited motion of the platen into whatshould preferably be, as stated, a substantial movement of the ribbon.the arrangement also comprises a source of power for the feeding of theribbon, which is entirely independent of the equipment ordinarily foundin a typewriting machine. This may be a source of stored energy. such asrepresented by a spring motor, or else it may be some other suitablemeans of generating power. In the drawings I illustrate the use of aspring motor for this purpose.

The result of this combination is an extremely sensitive control of thefeeding mechanism. which becomes operative instantly as the platen isrotated one way or the other. The ribbon is fed a substantial amount,which may vary with the diameter of the take-up reel, whether the platenis rotated a small or a considerable amount. If the movement of theplaten ceases before the feed movement has been completed, this willcontinue until an automatic stop is applied, under the desirablecondition of the ribbon feed continuing to operate after the platen hasonce more become stationary. If the movement of the platen stillcontinues after the feed movement has been completed, a new feedmovement is initiated and so on, until the platen is stopped.

The use of an independent source of power for the ribbon feed, insures asufficient and satisfactory feed at all times, without imposing anyextra load upon the operator or the machine, and also insures positiveand effective operation at all times; the main advantage thus gainedbeing, of course, proper alinement of the ribbon no matter what theoperation of the platen may be. This is the main feature on which thepractical value of the device depends.

It is also important, in devices of this kind, that means be providedassuring proper tension of the ribbon or ribbons at all times. If forany reason the status of the ribbon or ribbons is altered independentlyof the movement of the platen, as is the case, for instance,

I when the ribbon is shifted for multicolor illustrate this point, Iprefer to so design the guiding means for the ribbon that practically nochange in the length of the extended portion of said ribbon occurs whenthe ribbon is shifted for multicolor printing or for displacementthereof, from the printing line.

My invention also comprises another feature which facilitates itsoperation to a considerable extent. I have stated before, thatconsiderable friction develops between the surfaces of the paper and themanifolding ribbon or ribbons, and this friction is all the greater, asthe number of paper webs and ribbons increases, due to their increasedcombined thickness. This condition constitutes quite a seriouslimitation when a considerable number of copies is desired, because, thegeneral practice being to provide a ribbon or a stretch of ribbon foreach copy to be produced, in a case, for instnace, where four copiesbesides the original are needed, the

thickness at the printing line would be five sheets of paper and fourinterposed ribbons. When such a condition develops it becomesincreasingly difficult to properly feed the ribbons, which arepractically clamped between the sheets with considerable pressure.Another cause of increased thickness, and consequent increasedresistance to ribbon feeding, lies in the necessity of at timespreventing impression upon the rear surface of one or more of the blanksproduced, by the ribbon interposed between such and the next sheets orblanks. In this case a strip of paper may be interposed, or somespecially prepared ribbon writing on one side only, must be used. p

This is especially objectionable when a spring motor is used for theribbon feed, because such a condition creates the necessity of using anextra powerful motor while manufacturing and cost considerations make itdesirable to use light and unobstrusive parts.

By a special arrangement of the ribbon or ribbons in relation to thepaper, I am enabled to use a single ribbon for the simultaneousproduction of two copies, so that if four copies besides the originalare desired, it is necessary to employ only tvfo ribbons.

This result is obtained by dividing the copies in sets of two, and byinterposing a ribbon between the two copies of the same set, uslng,however, transparent paper for the front copy of each set. By thissimple expedient, the printing action of the rear surface of the ribbonis utilized to produce a copy which is visible and utilizable owing tothe transparency of the paper employed. The feeding of the ribbon orribbons is therefore made much easier, and longer ribbons can beemployed for the same maximum diameter of the windin reels. At the sametime I achieve the advantage of preventing any writing upon the rearsurface of the original and of the direct copies, without having to makeany special provision for it.

Furthermore, this arrangement makes it also possible to produce six oreight copies be sides the original, b employing only three or fourinanifolding ri bons, and this greatly facilitates the operation of thedevice.

Owing to the special arrangement employed, I also make it possible tointroduce the feature of multicolor printing for some or all of thecopies produced. The same arrangement also permits of entirely removingthe manifolding ribbon or ribbons from the printing line, so that themachine can be used like an ordinary typewriter.

In my other patient application above-referrcd to, I have pointed outthe importance of providing an automatic reversal of the ribbon feed,which is very rapid and positive in its action. Such a feature isaccordingly provided by means of an entirely novel and simplearrangement, insuring quick and positive action.

Although the various features of my invention may be embodied in theconstruction of a specially designed typewriting machine, I prefer tomake the device in the form of an attachment which can be mounted onmachines of the type currently found on the market, withoutnecessitating any material changes in the construction of the machinesthemselves; therefore in the drawings. I have shown this preferred typeof construction.

In said drawings:

20 designates the frame of an ordinary Remington typewriter, 21- thecarriage, mounted on saidframe. 22 the platen, 23 the platen shaft, and24 the platen supporting frame, on which said shaft is rotatablymounted. which is shown in its normal position, and which can be shiftedupwardly a limited amount for upper case printing, as is well known. Forthis purpose the platen sup porting frame is connected to the carriageframe by means of two parallel links 25, 26, at each side. 27 designatesthe column spacing bar. that in this type of machine is supported at therear upon carriage frame extensions 28.

The attachment, proper, comprises a main frame consisting of two sidesor uprights 29. 30, which are secured one at each end of the carriageframe b means of screws 31, 32, and by screws 33 use for securingspacing bar 27 upon extensions 28, said two sides or uprights beingrigidly connected to form a single frame by a tie rod 34, and by abridge member 35. The frame thus obtained, therefore, is supported by,and travels with the carriage. The attachment furthermore comprises asecondary frame 36 which extends at the rear between the two sides oruprights 29, 30, and which is mounted onto said upri hts in a mannerpermitting its being shifte in a vertical direction so as to follow themovement of the platen and platen frame when shifted to the upper caseprinting position. To this end, frame 36 is connected to the uprights ofthe main frame at each end by means of articulated links 37, 38, whichare pivotally connected to the main frame at 39, 40, respectively, andis also connected to the platen frame by means of links 41, one at eachend of the frame.

Secondary frame 36 is provided with a central. downwardly directedgoose-neck bracket 42, extending towards the front of the device, andwith two forwardly extending frame sides 43, 44, on which the operatingmechanism, proper, is mounted. A shaft runs through both sides 43, 44,and can be rocked by means of a hand lever 46, provided with a springbutton 47 adapted to set the lever at its normal position shown, or atpoints 48, 49, representing two successive steps in the angular motionof said shaft.

At each end of said shaft 45 is mounted an arm 50, 51, pivotallyconnected, respectively, to ribbon guiding members 52, 53; and saidguiding members are also connected to sides 43, 44, by articulated links54, 55, which form parallelograms with arms 50, 51, respectively,insuring vertical alinement of the ribbon guiding members, and causingthe same to move to two successive upward positions, when shaft 45 isrocked to positions 48, 49, of button 47.

Externally to each side 43, 44, is mounted a reel 56, 57, for thewinding of the manifolding ribbon or ribbons. Only one ribbon is used,besides the one normally employed for writing the original, shown at 58,if only two copies are desired, as stated; if three, or four copies areto be produced besides the original, two manifolding ribbons will beemployed, and more if more copies are desired. It is to be understood,that the manifolding ribbon or ribbons are interposed between the sheetsor webs on which copies of the original writing are to be produced,running from end to end, and traveling together with the platen. Whilealine is being written, the manifolding ribbon or ribbons remainstationary, but as a line is completed, the ribbon or ribbons are fedlongitudinally a substan tial amount, which need not necessarily be,however, in any definite relation to the length of the written line.

When more than oneimanifolding ribbon is employed, I prefer tosimultaneously wind the two or more ribbons used on the same reels. Inthe drawings, Figs. 12 and 14, I show how a multiple ribbon composed oftwo strands can be assembled and used, for the production of threecopies besides the original. In the same, the manifolding ribbon isshown composed of an inner and shorter strand 59, and an outer andlonger strand 60, joined at the two ends as at 61.

The difference in their length is a function of their thickness, whichcauses 2. corresponding increase in circumferential length from theinner to the outer strand, when the two are simultaneously wound in aspiral upon the same reel. very small, but for a considerable number ofturns, such as there are in practice, the diifer ence between therespective lengths of the two strands may amount to from one to threeinches. This is the reason for using the novel type of multiple ribbon,composed of strands having different lengths, as shown.

The device is shown in a position where the manifolding ribbon is beingwound upon reel 57, being fed from right to left, and unwinds from reel56, the supply on said reel being about to be exhausted, as shown inFig. 6.

From reel 56, the ribbon runs over a guiding roller 62 carried by ribbonguiding member 52, then downwardly to the end of said ribbon guidingmember and through a 45 slot 63 which causes aright angle bending of theribbon, and across the platen, in front thereof, in correspondence ofthe writing line, to another similar slot 64 inclined in the oppositedirection, provided in ribbon guiding member 53. The ribbon is passedthrough said slot, which causes it to bend at right angle upwardly andto run over a guiding roller 65 carried'by said ribbon guiding member53,

.and reaches then reel 57, to which its other I end, is attached.

It will be observed that during the practically vertical displacement ofribbon guiding members 52, 53, effected for ribbon shiftting purposes,the distance between said guiding members and the reels remainssubstantially the same. It will also be observed that rollers 62, 65 inthe intermediate position of the ribbon guiding members, remain at aheight which is about on a level with the circumference of the reelswhen the ribbon is about half wound upon one reel and half on the other;so that the stretch of ribbon connecting each guiding roller to itsrespective For each coil the difference is reel substantially actsas apivotal arm for the vertical movement of the roller due to the dislacement of the ribbon guiding members, said stretch of ribbon remainingsubstantially of the same length for all of the positions which ma beoccupied by said roller.

The result 0 this arrangement is that the displacement of the ribbonguiding means for shifting purposes does not cause any variation in thelength of the part of the ribbon which is unwound from. the reels;therefore, the use of a ribbon tensioning device may be omitted ifdesired.

The working portion of each strand of the ribbon, which is that partrunning from one guiding member to the other, along the front part ofthe platen, is interposed between two adjacent sheets or webs of paper,as shown in Fig. 14. It the same, 66 designates the front sheet, uponwhich the original is written, in the usual manner. 67 is'the firstcopy, and is transparent, 68 is the second copy; strand 59 is interposedbetween 67 and 68, and writes on the reverse side of 67 and on the frontside of 68, butthe writing on 67 is visible from the front, and islegible in the normalway, owing to the transparency of the paper.Incidentally, the use of sheet 67 in the manner shown protects thereverse side of the original from any impression, and this is anadditional advantage, inasmuch as the original is generally forwarded tothe customer or correspondent, and its neat appearance is an importantconsideration.

The other strand 60 of the ribbon is in its turn interposed betweensheet 68 and sheet 69, with the result that sheet 68 will be printed onboth sides. However, should it be necessary or desirable to obtain fourcopies instcadof three besides the original, it is a comparativelysimple matter to interpose another sheet of transparent paper betweensheet 68 and strand 60, producing an additional copy written on thereverse side. In this case, the original and all the copies producedwould be written on one side only.

A typewriter ribbon is generally wide enough to be used first alongone-half of its width, and then along the other half, doubling its lifeand usefulness. In many cases this feature is utilized instead forwriting in two different colors, the ribbon being shifted half of itswidth one way or the other according to whether one or the other colormust be used. For instance, the ribbon shown in Figs. 11, 14, is showndivided in two longitudinal sections of different color, one being forexample, black, while the other is red, as shown at 70, 71.

The use of means for shifting the ribbon for multicolor printing or fordouble wear, is a feature provided in most modern typewriting machines,and is considered part of their ordinary equipment; but this feature iscomparatively new in connection with manifolding ribbons in manifoldingltapewriters w ere no corresponding s i mg means have heretofore'beenprovided.

In the present device, when the ribbon guiding members are held in theposition shown in Fi 1, the upper half portion of the mamfol in ribbonis in operative pos1 t1on. By shifting lever 46 to position 48, a slightangular motion of shaft 45 is produced, suflicient to shift the ribbonso as to resent its lower half portion to the action of t e ty e bars.Therefore this feature can either be utilized to produce multicolorrinting of the copies to correspond with t at of the original, or elseto use first one half section of the manifolding ribbon and then theother,

without disturbing its general arran ement,

and without spending the time an labor otherwise necessary to suitablyrearrange it.

As stated, the manifoldin ribbon can also be entirely removed from t eline of printing, by moving lever 46 to position 49. In this position,the typewriter can be used without interference with or b themanifolding ribbon, and furthermore, t e raised position of themanifolding ribbon greatly facilitates its insertion between the paperwebs, when a new ribbon, or a new supply of paper is inserted in themachine.

The device is .particularly designed for use in connection with paper inthe form of strips, wound upon rolls in order to provide a supply ofpaper which will last for considerable time without need of rechargingthe machine. As each blank and corresponding copies are produced, theyare detached or cut from the strips, and the next set of blanks is readyfor immediate production. The obvious advantage of such an arrangementis the saving of the time'ordi narily required by preparing a number ofsheets of paper with interposed carbon sheets, and then inserting andfeeding them to the printing position. This is particularly important inthe preparation of invoices, orders, shipping slips, way bills, and inall those instances where only a comparatively limited amount of writtenmatter is required, because in such cases, the feeding of the paper tothe machine in the usual manner consumes more time than the preparationof the work itself.

Accordingly, the main frame of the device is designed to receive anumber of rolls of paper, as shown at 72, 73, 74. The same may bemounted on the frame in any suitable mannet, for instance by rotatablymounting the rolls upon shafts 7 5, 76, 77, merely inserted in verticalslots or housing provided for this purpose in sides or uprights 29, 30.

Each roll of paper may contain only one strip, or more t an one stripmay be wound simultaneously on the same roll; as an example, roll 72.comprises both the original strip 66 and the transparent strip 67, whilerolls 73, 74, are respectively formed by a sin le strip, 68 69. rom therolls, the strips of paper are directed to the rear or feeding s1de ofthe laten in any suitable manner, for instance y passing them throughguiding slots 78, 79, provided in bridge portion 35, then over a guidingroller 80 carried by a guide plate 81, then to and around the platen tothe front side thereof, then upwardly over'the surface of; a guideplate, 81, arranged in a position tangential to the surface of. thelaten, )slightly inclined to the rear. (See i I v The object of thisguide plate is .to provide a support for the written portion of thesheets, thereby improving their visibility; at the same time, said platemay also be used as a backing for a cutting edge or knife 82, carried bytwo side arms 83 pivoted at 84, and adjustable to and from the platenthrough slots 85, by means of clamping screws 86. The adjustment of thecutting edge is particularly useful for setting the device so as todetach the rinted blanks when the next set of blan s is in the rightposition to be started; the adjustment therefore depends upon the spaceleft for theheading of the blanks. In the type of cutting deviceillustrated, the written blanks may be detached by pressing the cuttingedge against the surface of the guiding plate; but a spring pressure maybe used for this purpose, if preferred.

The operation of the typewriter proceeds in the normal manner, and thepaper is fed by the rotation of the platen also in the usual manner; andwhen the platen is raised to upper case printing position, links 41 willproduce a corresponding movement of the secondary frame 36, togetherwith the ribbon and operating mechanism, as explained.

The operatin mechanism, which I will now. explain, has t e object ofregulating the operation of the manifolding ribbon, and performs thefollowing functions:

(a).It feeds a substantial length of ribbon instantly as the platen isrotated in one or the other direction, terminating the feed of theribbon only when or after the platen has come to a stop.

(6) .It instantly reverses the direct-ion of feed of the ribbon, as thesupply from the paying reel is exhausted.

(c).It maintains the ribbon under tension at all times, so as to take upany slack gvhich should occur for any reason in said rib- (d) .Itautomatically causes rewinding of the spring if a spring motor is used,limiting the tension thereof to a predetermined extent, and alsoincludes means whereby the rewinding may be effected by hand.

(c .It permits feeding of the ribbon by han whenever desired.

(f).-It provides a convenient arrangement for .the easy insertion andremoval of the ribbon reels and of the ribbon itself.

The operating mechanism is mounted on the secondary frames 36, 43, 44,and is movable therewith.

The feeding operation is effected by means of a main shaft 87 runninglongitudinally of the machine, which is rotated always in the samedirection by*a conical gear 88 in mesh with conical gear**89, mounted onsaid shaft, in a manner which Iwill describe later.

Shaft 87 is rotatably mounted at the ends through hollow shafts 90, 91,which are in their turn rotatably mounted, respectively, throughsides 43and 44 of the secondary frame. Shaft 90 is integral with a spring drum92 external to side 43, and is provided with a collar 93 at its innerend. 94 designates a cam loosely mounted on shaft 90, the function ofwhich I will presently explain, 95, 96, two friction discs also looselymounted on shaft 90 between side 43 and cam 94, and 97 is a pressurespring interposed between the said two discs. The result is that the webof cam 94 is frictionally held against collar 93 by friction disc 95,'so that the cam will follow the rotation of shaft 90, unless preventedfrom doing so by some stationary stop opposing its rotation. Anotherresult is that shaft 90 is frictionally held against rotation by thefriction between the inner surface of drum 92 and frame side 43, due tothe action of spring 97; so that shaft 90 will only rotate when thedriving force exerted upon the same is suflicient to overcome saidfrictional resistance. Another short shaft 98, coaxial with shaft 87, isalso rotatably mounted Within shaft 90, and is held in position by meansof cover 99 of the spring drum, which abuts against an enlarged portion100 of the shaft. Said shaft is also formed with an outwardly projectingstud 101, upon which one of the ribbon reels, 56, may be fixed in anysuitable manner.

Shaft 91 is mounted through frame side 44, and is positioned by means ofa collar 102 fixed on said shaft, externally to side 44. Be yond theportion upon which this collar is fixed, this shaft also is formed withan outwardlyprojec'ting stud portion of a smaller diameter, 103, uponwhich is fixed the other reel 57. Said shaft also carries at its innerend a collar 104, a cam 105 adjacent to said collar loosely mounted'onthe shaft, and two tegral, respectively, with clutch sleeves 112, 113,slidably keyed upon shaft 87. The movement of sald clutch sleeves in orout of engagement is controlled by a shifting rod 114, mounted parallelto shaft 87 through frame sides 43, 44, carrying clutch arms 115, 116,which are in the usual form of forked clutch levers, allowing the clutchsleeves to rotate, but controlling their longitudinal movements byengaging their collar portions 117, 118, res ectively. Shifting rod 114,therefore, is used'to effect the reversal of the ribbon feed, when theribbon has become entirely unwound from one of the reels, and wound uponthe other.

In my other patent application above-re- 'ferred to, I have pointed outthe importance,

- 11h a device of this kind, of providing an ab- -'solutely reliable andquick-acting ribbon feed reversing mechanism. The importance of thisfeature derives from the necessity of having the ribbon taut and incorrect alinement at all times, and the same also assists in avoidingundue stretching or breaking of the ribbon, when the feeding pullhappens to be exerted on it at the time when the end of the supply hasbeen reached at the paying end.

A slow-acting feed reversing mechanism, such as usually employed intypewriting machines, is therefore to be preferably avoided. In order toinsure quick action, I prefer to employ the suddenly released energystored in a spring, to effect the reversal; and this I f obtain by anovel arrangement, the operation of which I will presently explain,which includes:

Two sleeves, 119, 120 mounted on rod 114, rotatable therewith, and eachcapable of a limited longitudinal movement in relation to said rod. Inthe present case this is obtained by providing each sleeve with alongitudinal slot 121, 122, through which projects a pin 123, 124,radially extending from rod 114. Each sleeve is provided with a radiallyextending lug or pin 125, 126, abutting, respectively, against the rimof cams 94, 105. Said rim extends longitudinally, and has a spiraloutline, with a stop portion 127 which prevents rotation of the cam whenabutting against its respective lug or pin 125, 126, in eitherdirection. The result of this stop arrangement is that each cam may becaused to rotate in one or the other direction to an ex-.

tent of angular travel which is limted by the angular distance betweenthe two stop positions delimited by said stop portion.

The spiral portion of the rim of each cam is directed inwardly, so thatpartial rotation of each cam will cause shifting motion of itsrespective sleeve 119 or 120 in the direction of the other, thatis,towards clutch arm 115 or 116. A pressure spring 128, 129, isinterposed around rod 114 between clutch arm 115 and sleeve 119, andbetween clutch arm 116 and sleeve 120, respectively. When fullyextended, said sprin s are shorter than the distance separating t e hubof each clutch arm from the inner face of its respective sleeve when thesleeve is set at its extreme outward position; this is seen, forinstance, at the ri ht of Fig. 3, where sleeve 119 is set with its lugor pin 125 directl abutting against the web of cam 94, at the eginningof its spiral rim portion.

On the other hand, when one of thecams is rotated to its other extremeangular position, causing longitudinal shifting of its respective sleeveinwardly, the spring interposed between said sleeve and the clutch armnearest thereto, becomes compressed, as illustig'ated in the case ofspring 129 at the left of In addition to the above parts, the mechanismalso comprises two arms 130, 131, each fixed on a rocking shaft 132,133, mounted through frame sides 43, 44 respectively, at a distance fromthe center of the reels somewhat greater than the radius of the reels.

Said arms control the ribbon feed reversing mechanism, and theiroperation is in its turn controlled by the unwindin of the ribbon fromthe paying reel. It is obvious that when a ribbon is being unwound froma reel, its diameter gradually decreases, and this decrease offers ameans for controlling the operation of a feed reversing member when thediameter of the reel has reached a certain minimum.

However, the ribbon, especially if composed of a single strand, is sothin, that the diameter of the reel only varies by a minute quantity forevery revolution, and while it can be done, it is not altogethersatisfactory to rely on such'small changes in diameter as gradually takeplace in order to control the operation of the reversal mechanism. Iprefer to make this control dependent upon a sudden and substantialchange in diameter, and for this I utilize a certain type of reel whichis readily found on the market, the hub of which, 134, is in the form ofa hollow cylindrical segment with a peripherical opening 135, as shownin Figs. 5,6. These figures, which illustrate two different stages ofthe operation of reel '57 from the left of Fig. 3, show that the tip ofarm 131, which is held against the surface of the ribbon wound upon thereel by a tension spring 136, swings inwardly towards the center of thereel as the diameter of the reel decreases, owing to the action of saidspring; until the last turn of the ribbon having started to unwind andopening 135 being gradually uncovered by the ribbon, the arm is free tosnap into said opening, traveling a substantial angular amount, asrepresented by the angular distance between the full line and the dottedline representation of arm 131 in Fig. 6.

On shafts 132, 133, between arms 130, 131, and frame sides 43, 44,respectively, are also loosely mounted finger arms 137, 138, whlch areconnected to their respective frame sides by spiral springs 139, 140,which are under tension, and cause in said finger arms a tendency toinward angular motion. If said motion is free to occur, therefore, saidfinger arms will normally abut against sto pins 141, 142, respectively,outwardly prO ectmg from frame sides 43, 44. The hub of arm 130 isprovided with an inner lateral lug or extension 143, and thehub offinger arm 137 is provided with an outerlateral extension or lug 144which comes to abut against 143, when one of said elements 130, 137, ismoved angularly towards the other, until a certain predetermined minimumangular distance between the two elements is reached. By acting againstthe action of springs 136, 139, respectively, however, the angulardistance between the two elements can be increased.

In a similar manner, the hub of arm 131 is provided with an innerlateral extension or lug 145, and the hub of finger arm 138 with anouter lateral extension or lug 146, which limit'the minimum angulardistance between the said two parts, by abutting against each other whensaid minimum angular distance is reached.

When finger arms 137, 138 are abutting against stop pins 141, 142,respectively, their free end is in the path of and blocks thelongitudinal motion of shifting rod 114. To this end, rod 114 isprovided at each end with a collar 147, 148, and the relative dimensionsand arran'gements'of the various parts is such that said collars come toabut against one or the other of the frame sides as the shifting rod ismoved to one or the other of its extreme positions; and when one of thesaid collars is thus abutting against the frame side, as is the casewith collar 147 in the position represented in Figs. 3 and 4, the fingerarm at that end of the rod is free to move inwardly due to the action ofits spring 139 or 140, locking the rod against longitudinal motion.

The minimum angular distance between each finger arm and its arm 130 or131, is.

represented by the angle at which the finger arm abuts against its stoppin 141 or 142 wherg,

the arm associated with said finger arm has its tip about even with theouter diameter of the reel hub 134, as shown in full lines in Fig. 6.Since from this position it is not possible to move either the fingerarm or the arm to wards each other, on account of the abutment betweentheir respective lateral hub projections, it follows that if eitherelement moves in the direction of the other, the other will participatein said motion, just as if the two members were rigidly connected partsof the same lever. Therefore, if at any time the uncovering of opening135 in the reel hub permits its respective arm 130 or 131 to snaptowards the stud 101 or 103, owing to the action of :its spring 136, thefinger arm associated therewith will move angularly in the samedirection, clearing the path of the shifting rod. Since the movement ofthe finger arm is in this case antagonistic to its spring 139 or 140, itfollows that the action of spring 136 must be stronger, so as toprevail.

The new position assumed by the combined arm and finger arm associatedtherewith, is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. As the finger armassumes said position, the shifting movement of rod 114 will occur,bringing its collar 147 or 148 in the angular path of finger arm 137 or138, as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 represents reel 57 about to reach theend of its winding movement, which takes place by rotating the reel in acounter-clockwise direction as seen from the left of Figs. 3, 4, as thearrow indicates; and Fig. 6 represents the same reel about to reach theend of its unwinding movement, which takes place due to a pull exertedon the ribbon by the winding reel, in the direction of the arrow,causing rotation of the reel in a clockwise direction, as indicated.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the entire mechanism in the positioncorrespondingto that of Fig. 5, where reel 57 is'about to reach the endof its winding movement.

In this position, where gear 88 rotates in a clockwise direction duringthe feeding periods, as the arrow indicates, shaft 87 rotates in acounter-clockwise direction as seen from the left of Figs. 3 and 4, asshown in Fig. 5.

Shifting rod 114 has been shifted towards the left, causing clutchsleeve 113 to interlock with hollow shaft 91, so that the same is nowconnected to main shaft 87, and is driven thereby; this causes windingaction of reel 57, which is mounted on shaft 91. \Vhen the connectionbetween shaft 87 and shaft 91 was originally established, as will bebetter understood at a later stage of this description, cam 105 was atthe extreme position of its angular travel, corresponding to extremeouter position of sleeve 120 on rod 114, spring 129 being extended anduncompressed. As soon as shaft 91 started to rotate, however,

cam 105 was driven in the same direction through its frictionalengagement, and

brought to its other extreme position shown ually increased, forcingoutwardly arm 131, as shown in Fig. 5. During all this time, tinger arm138 has been maintained in its position detached from its stop pin 142,by collar 148 on rod 114, which is in the path of its angular motion,and finger arm 137 has remained abutting againstits stop pin 141,blocking the longitudinal motion of rod 114 towards the right, andassisting therefore in maintaining positive connection between sleeve113 and shaft 91. I

lVhile shaft 91 is thus connected to shaft 87 shaft 90 is disconnected,and is thereforefree to revolve.

When the connection between shaft 87 and shaft 91 was first established,reel 56 was the full reel, and 57 the empty reel; let us as some that anew ribbon had just been inserted in the machine by putting a new reelat the position indicated by 56. This is a comparatively simplyoperation, the reel being provided with a central circular opening withtwo radial inwardly directed lugs, and being inserted over the stud 101,which has two longitudinal grooves registering with said lugs, said reelbeing maintained in posi tion by a screw 149.

From this new reel, the ribbon has been extended to pass over roller 62,then through slots 63, 64 and upwardly to and over roller 65. and hasbeen connected to the empty reel 57. At this time, there is no tensionin a spiral spring 150. As shaft 87 is first rotated, reel 57 exerts apull on the ribbon, which causes reel 56 to also rotate, paying out theribbon. Together with reel 56, shaft 98 will also rotate, beingrotatably mounted through shaft 90. However, the spiral spring 150connects the enlarged portion 100 of shaft 98 with the inner surface ofthe. rim of drum 92, so that the rotation of shaft 98 will graduallycause said spring to become under tension until such time when saidtension is sutlicient to overcome the frictional resistance caused byspring 97 to the rotation of shaft 90 and drum 92. At this time shaft 90will follow the rotation of shaft 98, but in the meantime the tension inspring 150 remains, causing the ribbon to be fed under tension and toremain under tension at all times thereafter.

As shaft 90 is caused to follow the rotation of shaft 98. which takesplace in acounterclockwise direction looking from the-right of Figs. 3and 4 towards the machine, cam 94 will remain stationary, beingprevented from following the rotation of shaft 90 by lug or pin 125 ofsleeve 119 abutting against stop portion 127 of the cam rim.

These conditions remain as described throughout the period during whichthe ribbon is being wound upon reel 57, and unwound from reel 56. Whenthe last turn of the ribbon on reel 56 is reached. and the open ing 135in its hub is uncovered, arm 130 will suddenly snap with its tip throughsaid opening, moving its finger arm 137 out of the path of collar 147 onrod 114, in a manner analogous to that described in connection with Fig.6.

As previously stated, the initial rotation of shaft 91 has beenparticipated in by cam 105, with the result that spring 129 has becomecompressed between sleeve 120 and clutch arm 116. As soon as finger arm137 is forced outwardly, therefore, by the angular motion of arm 139 dueto its spring 136, shifting rod 114 will quickly snap to the right dueto the pressure exerted by spring 129, causing disengagement of clutchsleeve 113 from shaft 91, and then causing engagement of sleeve 112 withshaft 90. The rotation of shaft 87 will therefore instantly betransferred from shaft 91 to shaft 90, which will now rotate in aclockwise direction looking from the right of F igs. 3 and 4. Fromdriving, shaft 98 will now become driven, the rotation of shaft 90 anddrum 92 being transmitted to shaft 98 through spiral spring 150; andsince shaft 90 now rotates'in a direction opposite to that in which itwas formerly driven, the tension of spring 150 remains, and ismaintained while the ribbon travels in the opposite direction.

As shaft 90 is first rotated in the new direction stated, cam 94 willfollow its rotation, until its stop portion 127 will once more abutagainst lug or pin 125. During this partial revolution, its rim hasforced lug or pm 125, and therefore sleeve 119, inwardly, compressingspring 128 between said sleeve and the hub of clutch arm 115. This ismade possible owing to the fact that when rod 114 was shifted to theright by the action of spring 129, collar 148 was moved out of the pathof finger arm 138, so that this was free to angularly move inwardly toabut against stop pin 142, due to the action of its spring 140, lockingrod 114 against return motion.

The ribbon will now continue to be wound upon reel 56, unwinding fromreel 57, until the opening in the hub of reel 57 will in its turn becomeuncovered by the ribbon, and a new reversal, due to the combined actionof the outward movement of finger arm 138, permitting shifting of rod114 to the left, and spring 128, effecting said shifting movement, willtake place.

Owing to the comparatively large diameter of cams 94. 105, the camaction of their spiral shaped rims is very effective in compressingsprings 128, 129, and for positive operation to take place it is onlynecessary that springs 97, 108, be somewhat stronger than springs 128,129.

I will now explain how the operation of shaft 87 is directly controlledby the operation of the platen in one or the other direction. In thedevice illustrated, I use a spring motor as a source of power, but itW211 be made clear from the description, that with some suitablemodifications, an electric motor may be used as well.

Broadly, the principle of operation of the ribbon feed drivingmechanism, may be compared to that used in the operation of a powerpress. In a press, the source of power, Which is represented by acontinuously rotating flywheel, is normally operative only when a clutchmember is released to connect said flywheel with the operating shaft.

The clutch is normally held in its inoperative position against theaction of a spring, which will force the clutch into operative positionwhen released; but the rotation of the shaft thus determined, isterminated at the end of one revolution by suitable stationary camacting means which once more force the clutch into its inoperativeposition, setting the spring in readiness for the next release.

A quite similar arrangement could be used here, by controlling theclutch release by the action of the platen. especially if an electricmotor is used, furnishing a convenient means of maintaining a member incontinuous rotation. But for simplicitys sake, I prefer to use amechanism where the source of power itself is not only normallyinoperative, but is also normally stationary; although its function isquite parallel to that just described. since I use a source of powerwhich is normally inoperative. means controlled by the action of theplaten to render said source of power temporarily operative, causing onerevolution of the operating shaft, and means controlled by the rotationof said shaft, automatically once more rendering inoperative said sourceof power at the end of said revo lution.

The one revolution of the operating shaft thus obtained every time theplaten is rotated in one or the other direction, is transmitted to shaft87, causing a substantial angular motion thereof; for instance, if theratio is 1:1, as shown in the drawings, causing one revolution of saidshaft. This in its turn corresponds to one revolution of the pick-upreel, and the feeding of a length of ribbon which is a function of thediameter of the pick-up reel at that particular moment. \Vith a reelsuch as ordinarily used in a Remington or other standard typewriter, thei'ninimum diameter of the reel corresponds to about three inch feed. andthe maximum diameter to about eight inch feed for one revolution.

The device specifically illustrated comprises a driving shaft 151. whichconstantly tends to rotate in a clockwise direction as the arrowindicates in Fig. 3, owing to the action of a spiral spring 152 whichhas its inner end attached to said shaft, and its outer end attached tothe rim of a spring drum 153 loosely mounted on said shaft. The springis maintained under tension by means which I will later describe. 154designates an actuating drum which is frictionally connected to shaft151 by clamping a disc 155 fixed on the shaft between its inner wallsurface, and a pressure plate 156 inserted on pins 157 rearwardlyextending from said wall, and maintained against the rear surface ofdisc 155 by the pressure exerted by springs 158. The result of thisarrangement is that if drum 154 is free to revolve, it will follow therotation of the shaft, and if it is prevented from rotating it willprevent the rotation of said shaft; but if the force driving said shaftshould become sufiicient to overcome the friction exerted by theactuating drum and by its pressure plate against the surface of thedisc, the shaft will be able to rotate even though the actuating drumshould be locked against rotation.

On the front end of shaft 151 is rotatably mounted a conical gear 88which, as stated,

is in mesh with and drives gear 89 on shaft 87. Said gear 88 is integralwith a ratchet wheel 159, which is engaged by a pawl 160 carried on thefront face'of'drum 154, and which causes said ratchet wheel and gear 88to follow the rotation of said actuating drum. On the other hand, suchan arrangement permits of the gear 88 and ratchet wheel 159 beingrotated in the salne direction independently of shaft 151.

This feature, therefore, permits of feeding the ribbon by hand wheneverdesired, if suitable means for directly or indirectly rotating shaft 87in the normal direction are provided. This may be done in anumber ofways. for instance, merely by providing screws 149, 149' with anextension 161, provided with a crank handle 162 which can be rotated byhand. Screw 149 will have a right hand thread, while screw 149 will havea left hand thread; in this manner, meansare provided for directlyrotating the take-up reel in the proper direction.

From the preceding description, it will be understood that actuatingdrum 154 is constantly tending to rotate in the direction of the arrowin Fig. 3: its rotation. however. is normally prevented by a feedcontrolling member 163 made in the form of a rectangular framecomprising a front longitudinal bar or contact member 164 normallycontacting with the upper surface of the platen. as shown in Fig. 7. twoside, members extending to the rear, 165, 166. pivotally suspended byvertical links 167 to the secondary frame sides at 168, a. rearlongitudinal member 169 closing the. rectangle, and a rearwardlydirected extension 17 0 which helps in guiding the front to rear motionof said feed controlling member by passing through a slot 171 in frame36, and which is provided with an upwardly extending finger 172 reachingthe surface of drum 154 about midway of its width.

Said feed controlling member is also prollt).

vided with an upwardly extending lug 173, which when the feedcontrolling member is in its normal position shown in Fig. 7, isdirectly in line with the front Wall or web of drum 154.

Said wall or web has a substantially circular outline, as shown in Fig.3, and is provided with a radially extending stop pin 17% which abutsagainst lug 173 when this is in the same vertical plane, that is, in thenormal position of the feed controlling membm'. Said feed controllingmember is maintained in its normal position by a tension spring 175,which being directed at right angle to the front to rear motion of thefeed controlling member, will be subject to increased tension whetherthe feed controlling inei'nl'ier is moved towards the front or towardsthe rear, and will therefore tend to oppose its motion in eitherdirection.

At the same time said spring has the object of maintaining the frontpart of the feed controlling member, that is, contact bar 164, intofrictional contact with the upper surface of the platen, using thepivotal connections 17 6 between links 167 and the side members 165,166, as a fulcrum for said feed controlling member.

The crown part 'of drum 154, which is shown in section from the rear inFig. 10, has its major portion with a circular outline, and a minorportion 177 bulging or raised from the circular surface, at a shortangular distance from stop pin 174, and preceding said pin in the senseof the movement of the drum. Said minor portion therefore has asegmental circular outline having a radius greater than the rest of thedrum; furthermore, in its rear portion, that is, in its portion which iscloser to the stop pin, said bulging portion is provided with tworadially extending rib members. 178, 179, converging from the two sidesof the crown portion of the drum, towards the direction of pin 174.

By means of this arrangement, a double cam action is obtained, first ina vertical plane, and then in a horizontal plane, against finger 172, inorder to return the feed controlling member to its normal position atthe end of one revolution of drum 154.

This mechanism is extremely sensitive, and operates as follows:

If the platen is rotated. even slightly. in one or the other direction.its motion will be followed by the feed cont-rolling member, on accountof the frictional contact existing between contact bar 164 and thesurface of the platen. This movement may be compared to that of a gearand rack mechanism, and is illustrated in Fig. 8, where the platen hasbeen slightly moved in a direction opposite to its normal feedingdirection of rotation. The ensuing forward movement of the feedcontrolling member causes lug 173 to release stop pin 174, and drum 154is thus free to rotate together with shaft 151, driving gear 88 andthrough it, shaft 87. As the end of one revolution of drum 154;approaches, its aised portion 178 presses against finger 17 2, causingtilting of the feed controlling member around its pivots 176, so as todetach its contact bar 164 from the surfaceof the platen? exerting, inother words, a cam action in the vertical plane against the feedcontrolling member.

Immediately after the front part of the feed controlling memier has beenso raised, the converging ribs 178 or 179, in this case 178, willgradually force finger 172 inwardly, that is towards its normal positionin a horizontal direction. As said position is reached, the bulgingportion 177 terminates, and allows spring 175 to return to feedcontrolling member to a position where bar 164 contacts with the surfaceof the plat-en; at the same time, the normal position of the feedcontrolling member having been resumed, lug 17 3 is once more in thepath of stop pin 174, and will bring the movement of the drum to asudden end.

If at this time the platen is still in motion, the feed controllingmember will be once more immediately driven in the direction of therotation of the platen; and the cycle of operations will be repeated,and will continue to be repeated, as long as the platen is kept inmotion. On the other hand, a very slight angular motion of the platen,such, for instance, as necessary to feed the paper for one line spaceprinting, is sufficient to insure the feed of a substantial length ofribbon.

Said feed starts immediately after the platen has been rotated a smallangle, therefore the ribbon is in the best conditions for feeding; theribbon being maintained in motion throughout the period when the platenrotates, it is practically impossible for the ribbon to become caughtand entangled between the platen and the feed rollers; and the ribbonbeing maintained in motion up to, or after the point when the motion ofthe platen terminates, it will remain in perfect alinement at the end ofits feeding movement, being assisted in this also by the tension createdby spring 150.

In connection with a spring motor, such an illustrated, means must alsobe provided insuring tension of the spring, as well as means effectivelypreventing the possibility of putting an excessive tension or strainupon Ill the sprin To these ends, the following arrangement is provided:

The spring drum 153 is provided with an external circumferential seriesof ratchet tion, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, but preventing itsrotation in the opposite direction. Another drum 182 is rotatablyinserted over the remaining portion of the width of drum 153, andcarries another pawl 183, also engaging ratchet teeth 180 so as to causedrum 153 to follow its motion when drum 182 is rotated in the directionof the arrow. However, owing to this construction, drum 158 is free torotate in the same direction independently of drum 182, and drum 182 isfree to rotate in the opposite direction Without engaging drum 153.Therefore, by fixing a rear plate 184 to drum 153, and by provldmg saidrear plate with two projecting handles 185, 186, spring 152 may be woundup by hand to the desired tension, when nocessary.

Normally, however, the tension of the spring is automatically reachedand maintained, by utilizing the return motion of the carriage to windthe spring. To this end, a

flexible steel band 187 is attached at one end to the surface of drum182, upon which it is wound for a suitable length, and is attached atthe other end to a fixed extension 188 attached to the mainframe of themachine. If the carriage has reached the end of its writing stroke, andis about to be returned, and if during the step by step motion of thecarriage towards the left band 187 has been caused to wind upon drum182, it is obvious that when the carriage is moved towards the right inorder to start a new line, band 187 will cause drum 182 to rotate in aclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. The result is,that pawl 183 will force drum 153 to follow the rotation of drum 182,winding the spring which is held at its inner end by shaft 151. Shaft151 is held stationary by the friction exerted by the clamping actionexerted by drum 154 and pressure plate 156 against the surface of disc155, since drum 154 is normally prevented from rotating by the action oflug 173 against stop pin 174.

The tension of spring 152 is therefore a function of the frictionbetween members 154, 156, and disc 155. When the spring should be woundin excess of the normal ten sion allowed by conditions. that is, to apoint sufficient to overcome the frictional resistance developingagainst the surface of disc 155, shaft 151 will follow the rotation ofdrum 153. being driven by said spring, and disc 155 will slip betweenits clamping surfaces. In this manner, excessive winding of the spring,and possible consequent damage, is efi'ectively avoided.

The winding of band 187 upon drum 182 as the carriage moves towards theleft might be obtained by means of an additional spring arrangement; butI prefer to use a more positive and simpler arrangement, comprisinganother steel band 189, wound upon drum 182 in a direction oppositeto'that of band187, and attached to a, rearward projection 190 from themachine frame, at the right, preferably by means of a tension spring191.

As the carriage progresses in its step by step motion towards the left,band 189 unwinds from drum 182, causing the same to rotate in acounterclockwise direction; this movement can take place, as stated,without interference from the ratchet teeth 180 on drum 153, andautomatically causes band 187 to wind upon drum 182 as the movement ofthe carriage progresses. WVhen the carriage is moved in the oppositedirection, as stated, band 187 will cause reverse movement of the drum,and this time this movement will be transmitted to the spring by pawl183. At the same time, this reverse movement of the drum will causewinding of band 189, so that the unwinding of each band willautomatically cause the Winding of the other.

The object of spring 191 is to provide a yielding attachment for band189, allowing vertical shifting of the spring motor which takes placewhen the secondary frame 36 moves upwardly with the platen frame, tooccur without difficulty. Movement of the motor in a vertical planeobviously alters the distance between the motor drum and the points ofattachment of bands 187, 189, and since the two bands act in twoopposite directions, the device would be locked against vertical motionif no yielding connection were provided. As the device stands, if themotor is moved upwardly, slightly increasing the distance separating itfrom extension 188, band 187 will cause a slight angular motion of drum182 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. and this will cause windingof a corresponding length of the other band, 189, upon the drum; andspring 191 will allow such winding to take place, and will'becomeslightlv extended to counterbalance it.

In the preceding description I have endeavored to clearly point outthose advantageous features of my invention which are new per se,independently of the mechanism employed, and also those constructionsand arrangements of parts which are more in the nature of improvementsin the modes of producing certain results which in themselves are notnecessarily new. It is obvious that, while the drawings represent athoroughly practical embodiment of my invention, in so far as the newfeatures are concerned the same must be. interpreted as being forillustrative purposes only, and not in a limiting sense; inasmuch as anyfeature may usually be duplicated in a machine by employing differentmeans, through the employment of purely mechanical skill. which does notdepart from the scope of the inventive idea.

I therefore reserve myself the right to Cfl ways and forms which mayenter, fairly, into the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, and a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, of means for longitudinally feeding aminimum amount of ribbon when said platen is rotated in either directionand controlling means therefor, operatively associated with said platen,adapted to terminate the operation of said feeding means after thetermination of the angular travel of said platen.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extends ing along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for said ribbon, of anindependent source of power, adapted to operate said feeding means, andcontrolling means therefor, operatively associated with said platen,rendering said source of power opera-- tive when said platen is rotatedin either direction.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for said ribbon, of asource of power tending to operate said feeding means, means forenergizing said source of power, and means normally locking said sourceof power against operation, said looking means being operativelyassociated with said plat/en, and rendering said source of poweroperative when said platen is rotated in either direction.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for said ribbon, of arotatable member independent of said platen adapted to drive saidfeeding means, and a member movable in relation to and controlled bysaid platen, governing the operation of said rotatable member.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, feeding means for said ribbon, and drivingmeans therefor, of a controlling member adapted to be shifted by saidplaten, shiftable thereby transversely to the axis thereof, when saidplaten is rotated in one or the other direction, governing the operationof said driving means.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for said ribbon, of arotatable member adapted to drive said feeding means,

and a controlling member operatively associated with said platen,adapted to be shifted thereby transversely to the axis thereof, normallymaintaining said rotatable member in-' operative, and renderin saidrotatable member operative when sai platen is rotated in one or theother direction, causing shifting movement of said controlling member.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for said ribbon, of arotatable member adapted to drive said feeding means, a memberoperatively associated with said platen, and movable in relationthereto, normally maintaining said rotatable member inoperative,rendering said rotatable member operative when said platen and memberassociated therewith are moved in one or the other direction, and meansassociated with said rotatable member returning said associated memberto its normal position.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for saidribbon, of arotatable member adapted to drive said feeding means, an independentsource of power for said rotatable member, means causing the operationof said rotatable member as said platen is rotated in one or the otherdirection, and means causing said operation to terminate, as saidrotatable member completes a predetermined amount of angular travel.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combi nation with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for said ribbon, of aspring motor adapted to drive said feeding means, means controlled bysaid platen governing the operation of said spring motor, means forwinding said motor during the return motion of said carriage, and meanssafeguarding said motor against excessive winding.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenframe mounted on said carriage adapted to be shifted to lower and uppercase printing positions, and a platen rotatably mounted on said platenframe, of a main frame fixed on said carriage, a secondary frame movablymounted on said main frame, means transmitting shifting movements ofsaid platen frame to said secondary frame, and a ribbon and feeding andoperating means therefor, mounted' on said secondary frame.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenframe mounted on said carriage adapted to be shifted to lower and uppercase printing positions, and a platen rotatably mounted on said platenframe, of a main frame fixed on said carriage,

a secondary frame mounted on said main frame operatively associated withsaid platen frame and shiftable therewith, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and winding reels therefor, carried bysaid secondary frame, driving means for said reels and operating meanstherefor also carried by said secondary frame, and a member operativelyassociated with said platen, and movable in relation thereto, governingthe operation of said operating means.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenframe mount ed on said carriage adapted to be shifted to lower and uppercase printing positions, and a platen rotatably mounted on said platenframe, of a main frame fixed on said carriage, a secondary frameoperatively associated with said platen frame and shiftable therewith, aribbon extending along the printing line on said platen, and windingreels therefor, carried by said secondary frame, driving means for saidreels, a rotatable member adapted to operate said driving means, andmeans impelling said member to rotate also carried by said secondaryframe,

a member operatively associated with said platen, and movable inrelation thereto, normally engaging said rotatable member preventing itsrotation, and releasing said rotatable member when said operativelyassociated member is moved in one or the other direction, and meansreturning said operatively associated member to its normal position.

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of ribbonreels rotatably mounted above said platen, spaced in a front to reardirection therefrom, a ribbon extending for the entire length of thewriting line in front of said platen, then upwardly, then in a front torear direction to one of said reels ateach end thereof, guiding meansfor said ribbon independent of said platen and adapted to be shifted .inrelation thereto, so as to set one or the other of the marginal portionsof said ribbon opposite said writing line, and means for moving saidguiding means in a plane substantially tangential to a circumferencehaving for its radius the front to rear tracts of said ribbon.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of ribbonreels rotatably mounted above said platen, spaced in a front to reardirection therefrom, a ribbon extending for the entire length of thewriting line in front of said platen, then upwardly, then in a front torear direction to one of said reels at each end thereof, guiding meansfor said ribbon independent of said platen adapted to be shifted inrelation thereto, so as to set one or the other of the marginal portionsof said ribbon opposite said writing line, or so as to move said ribbonaway from the Writing line, and means for moving said guiding means in aplane substantlally tangential to a circumference having for its ra diusthe front to rear tracts of said ribbon.

15. Ina typewriting machine; the combination with a carriage, a platenframe mounted on said carriage adapted to be shifted to lower and uppercase printing positions, and a platen rotatably mounted on said frame,of a main frame fixed onsaid carriage, a secondary frame mounted on saidmain frame operatively associated with said platen frame and shiftabletherewith, a ribbon having a portion extending along the printing lineon said platen, and winding reels therefor, carried by said secondaryframe, driving means for said reels and operating means therefor alsocarried by said secondary frame, a member operatively associated withsaid platen, and movable in relation thereto, governing the operation ofsaid operating means, and guiding means for said ribbon, mounted on andmovable in relation to said secondary frame, adapted to shift saidribbon to various positions in relation to said platen.

16. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenframe mounted on said carriage adapted to be shifted to lower and uppercase printing positions, and a platen rotatably mounted on said frame,of a main frame fixed on said carriage, a secondary frame mounted onsaid main frame operatively associatedwith said platen frame andshiftable therewith, a ribbon having a portion extending along theprinting line on said platen, and winding means therefor,

carried by said secondary frame, driving means for said winding meansand operating means therefor also carried by said secondary frame, meansoperatively associated with said platen governing the operation of saidoperating means, means for shifting said ribbon to various positionsin'relation to said platen, and means automatically reversing the ribbonfeed.

17. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a paperfeeding mechanism comprising a platen, and a spooled ribbon extendingalong the printing line of said platen, of means for feeding said ribbonin one or the other direction and a normally inoperative individualsource of power for operating said ribb'on feeding means, said source ofpower being controlled by said paper feeding mechanism, and becomingoperative whenever said platen is rotated in either direction.

18. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a paperfeeding mechanism comprising a platen rotatably mounted on saidcarriage, a ribbon extending along the printing line of said platen,feeding means therefor, and a normally inoperative individual source ofpower for operating said ribbon feeding means, of means controlled bysaid paper feeding mechanism, rendering said source of power operativeto actuate said ribbon feedin means, whenever said platen is rotated ineither direction.

19. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line of said platen, feeding means therefor, and a normallyinoperative individual source of power for operating said ribbon feedingmeans, of means operatively associated with said platen rendering saidfeeding means operative whenever said platen is rotated in eitherdirection.

20. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platen,and a spooled ribbon extending along the printing line of said platen,of means for feeding said ribbon in one or the other direction and asource of power adapted to operate said feeding means, said source ofpower being con trolled by said platen, and being adapted to generatepower independently of that actually required for the operation of saidma chine.

21. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, aplatenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and feeding means for said ribbon, ofdriving means therefor, and a controlling member in operative engagementwith said platen, rendering said driving means operative whenever saidplaten is rotated in either direction.

22. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, feeding means for said ribbon, and drivingmeans therefor, of a controlling member in operative frictionalengagement with said platen, rendering said driving means operativewhenever said platen is rotated in either direction.

23. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and

feeding means for said ribbon, of a rotatable member adapted to drivesaid feeding means, means impelling said member to rotate, a detentmechanism operatively associated with said platen, controlling theoperation of said rotatable member, said mechanism comprising meansnormally engaging said rotatable member preventing its rotation, andreleasing it when said platen is operated in either direction, and meansfor returning said engaging and releasing means to their normalposition. a

24. In a typewriting machine, the combination with g carriage, a platenrotatably mounted. on said carriage, a ribbon extending.

along the printing line on said platen, and winding reels, one at eachend of said ribbon, of means for alternately winding said ribbon uponone or the other of said reels, and

spring means associated with one of the said reels, tending to rotatesaid reel in a direction opposite to that of the movement of saidribbon, and maintaining said ribbon under continuous tension, both whensaid ribbon is wound upon or unwound from said reel, said spring meansbeing interposed between said winding means and said reel, transmittingmovement from the former to the latter, when said reel is rotated in itswinding direction.

25. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen and winding reels, one at each end of saidribbon, of means for alternately winding said ribbon upon one or theother of said reels, and spring means associated with one of the saidreels, said spring means being adapted to be set under tension by saidreel when the ribbon is unwound therefrom, and being adapted to be setunder tension by said winding means, when said ribbon is wound upon saidreel.

26. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, a platenrotatably mounted on said carriage, a ribbon extending along theprinting line on said platen, and winding reels, one at each end of saidribbon, of means for alternately winding said ribbon upon one or theother of said reels,- spring means associated with one of thesaid reels,said spring means being adapted to be set under tension by said reelwhen the ribbon is unwound therefrom, and being adapted to be set undertension by said winding means, when said ribbon is wound upon said reel,and friction means associated with said spring means regulating thetension thereof.

27. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage and aplaten carried thereby, of a manifolding attachment com prising a frameadapted to be mounted on said carriage, ribbon reels, guides and drivingmeans carried by said frame, and a member controlling said driving meansalso carried by said frame, arranged to be moved into operative relationwith said platen, when said frame is placed on said carriage, saidmember being operated by said platen both when said platen is rotated inone or in the other direction.

28. In a device of the class described, the combination with aplaten,-of a manifolding ribbon, winding reels therefor located abovesaid platen, and guiding means for said ribbon movable tangentially ofsaid platen and of said winding reels, said guiding means extending fromthe printing line on said platen to a point substantially on a levelwith the winding section of said reels.

29. In a device of the class described, the combination with a platen,of a manifolding ribbon, winding reels therefor located above saidplaten, and guiding means for said ribbon movable tangentially of saidplaten and of said winding reels, said guiding means extending from theprinting line on said platen to a point substantiall winding section ofsai reels, and hand controlled means for causing transversal CllS-placement of said guiding means and ribbon in relation to the writingline on said platen.

30. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, amanifolding ribbon and winding means therefor, of a spring motor adaptedto drive said winding means independently of said carriage, and meansutilizing the return motion of said carriage to rewind said motor.

31. In a-typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage, amanifolding ribbon and winding means therefor, of a spring motoradapted'to drive said winding means independently of said carriage, saidspring motor comprising a spring and tensioning means therefor, meansoperatively associated with said tensioning means utilizing the returnmotion of said carriage to rewind said spring, and frictional meansinterposed between said spring and tensioning means allowing slippage ofone in relation to the other to avoid excessive winding of said spring.

32. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a frame, a carriagemounted on said frame, a manifolding ribbon and winding means therefor,of a spring motor adapted to drive said winding I1182I1S, S21.ld springmotor comprising a spring, a shaft connected to one end of said springadapted to be driven thereby, and a member connected to the other end ofsaid spring adapted to be rotated in a direction increasing the tensionof said spring; means on said frame preventing rotation of said memberin the opposite direction, a rotatable tensioning member coaxial withsaid member adapted to cause the rotation thereof, in the tensioningdirection, a flexible member connecting said tensioning member to oneend of said frame, causing rotation thereof in said tensioning directionduring the return motion of said carriage, and another flexible elementconnecting said tensioning member to the other end of said frame,causing rotation thereof in the opposite direction, rewinding said firstmentioned flexible element on said tensioning member, during the travelof the carriage in its normal operative direction.

33. 'In a typewriting machine, the combination with a frame, a carriagemounted on said frame, a manifolding ribbon and winding means therefor,of a spring motor adapted to drive said winding means, said spring motorcomprising a spring, a shaft connected to one end of said spring adaptedto be driven thereby, and a drum connected to the other end of saidspring adapted to be rotated in a direction increasing the tension ofsaid on a level with the spring, means on said frame preventing rotationof said drum in the opposite direction, a rotatable tensioning membercoaxial with said drum adapted to cause the rotation thereof, in thetensioning direction, a flexible member connecting said tensioningmember to one end of said frame, causing rotation thereof in saidtensioning direction during the return motion of said carriage, anotherflexible element connecting said tensioning member to the other end ofsaid frame, causing rotation thereof in the opposite direction,rewinding said firstmentioncd flexible element on said tens oningmember, during the travel of the carriage in its normal operativedirection, and frictional connecting means interposed between said drumand said shaft allowing slippage of one in relation tothe other to avoidexcessive winding of said spring.

In a typewriting machine, the combination with a frame, a carriagemounted on said frame, a manifolding ribbon and wind- 1n g meanstherefor, of a spring motor adapted to drive said winding means, saidspring motor comprising a spring, a shaft connected to one end of saidspring adapted to be driven thereby, end of said spring adapted to berotated in a direction increasing the tension of said spring, means onsaid frame preventing rotation of said drum in the opposite direction, arotatable tensioning member coaxial with said drum adapted to cause therotation thereof, in the tensioning direction, a flexible memberconnecting said tensioning member to oneend of said frame, causingrotation there-- of in said tensioning direction during the returnmotion of said carriage, another flexible element connecting saidtensioning member to the other end of said frame, causing rotationthereof in the opposite direction, rewinding said first mentionedflexible element on said tensioning member, during the travel of thecarriage in its normal operative direction, and adjustable frictionalconnecting means interposed between said drum and said shaft allowingslippage of one in relation to the otl1er to avoid excessive winding ofsaid spring.

35. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, amanifolding ribbon, winding means and an operating shaft therefor, of anormally ino erative source of power, means controlled by said platenrendering said source of power temporarily operative, causing apredetermined angular movement of said operating shaftupon the operationof said platen, and means controlled by the rotation of said shaft,automatically rendering said source of power once more inoperative, uponcompletion of said angular movement.

36. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, amanifolding ribbon,

and a drum connected to the other

